GREEN THUMBS UP: Get Ready for Spring

Saturday

Apr 8, 2017 at 2:00 PM

By Suzanne Mahler

Despite a prolonged period of gloomy days, cool temperatures, and the potential for a weekend nor’easter, the welcome signs of spring are gradually beginning to appear. Songbirds flit about the treetops singing their spirited springtime melodies, while the annoying, but undeniably cute chipmunks have emerged from hibernation. The extended daylight hours beckon us forth to enjoy the exhilarating spring air and begin the process of spring cleaning our yards and gardens. Each new day reveals another springtime miracle as throughout the garden, bulbs and perennials are gradually coming to life.

To prevent a random, haphazard approach to your spring projects, take a few minutes to walk around your property and prepare a prioritized list. Spring pruning of trees and shrubs will continue for weeks to come, but a thorough cleanup of the perennial borders is usually high on the list for rejuvenated gardeners since each week that passes, the time needed to clip, rake, and remove debris increases exponentially as bulbs and perennials quickly emerge. A layer of soggy, decomposing plant material encourages diseases and slugs, provides cover for foraging rodents, and may also suffocate developing foliage resulting in yellow leaves or rot. Although treading on waterlogged soils should be avoided to prevent compaction, the removal of leaves and debris from lawns and gardens should be undertaken as soon as time and conditions permit.

Before systematically tackling a garden-by-garden cleanup, certain plants should be given immediate attention. Clumps of withered ornamental grasses, including fountain grass (Pennisetum), sea oats (Chasmanthium), switch grass (Panicum), Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa), and the statuesque maiden grasses (Miscanthus), should be sheared close to the ground to minimize damage to new growth and reduce the risk of their soggy foliage smothering underlying plants. Cutting back the tall, stately Miscanthus family of grasses can be particularly challenging as these grasses have razor sharp leaves that can result in uncomfortable paper-cut wounds. Wear heavy gloves and use your hands as rakes to remove loose strands prior to clipping which will greatly facilitate the procedure.

Once the ornamental grasses are clipped, my focus shifts to my shady borders. Many shade-loving plants appear early in the season and hasten to flower before trees fully leaf out to take advantage of the bright spring sunlight. Barrenworts (Epimedium), charming groundcovers that thrive even among the roots of greedy maples, are my first priority. Their delicate, brittle flower stems emerge early, necessitating immediate and careful clipping and removal of dead leaves. Similarly, the fleshy foliage of old-fashioned bleeding hearts develops quickly once temperatures moderate and debris around these springtime favorites should be gently eased away to prevent accidental damage as cleanup of surrounding plants progresses.

Hellebores are rapidly becoming one of the most popular perennials for shady sites with welcome early blooms, evergreen foliage, and increasing diversity in the colors and forms of their lovely saucer-shaped blossoms. By winter’s end, their leathery leaves are often battered and sprawling. I snip their older leaves early each spring so they do not detract from the beautiful clusters of blossoms that are beginning to unfold. While they are reportedly ‘deer resistant’ plants, I have noticed significant foraging in recent years and scatter Milorganite to minimize damage and provide nutrients for new growth.

Ferns are also a focus of my early efforts since their delicate new growth is easily damaged. Clip the old sprawling fronds of Christmas ferns, the wiry stems of maidenhairs, and carefully snip the withered leaves of deciduous ferns including Japanese painted ferns, lady ferns, cinnamon, and ostrich ferns. Give the mop-like evergreen sedges (Carex) a haircut if their grassy leaves suffered winter damage. In my garden, the bunnies have already gotten a head start on the trimming process.

In sunny borders, several types of woody herbs and perennials will also benefit from a springtime trim including lavender, Santolina, sage (Salvia), Russian sage (Perovskia), and Montauk daisies (Nipponeanthemum). Annual pruning eliminates dead and winter-damaged tips and encourages dense, compact plants with more flowers. The soft, fuzzy leaves of lamb’s ears may also need attention. A gentle raking or fluffing by hand will remove most of the limp, tan leaves and should be done before the new silvery leaves develop.

While I may have to temporarily trade my rake for a snow shovel this weekend, the welcome satiny blooms of crocuses by my back door serve as a reminder that spring will soon come to pass.

—Suzanne Mahler is an avid gardener, photographer and lecturer. She is a member of a local garden club, past president of the New England Daylily Society, an overseer for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and is employed at a garden center.